Lebanon17 May, 20262 min read
Hezbollah Drone Strike Kills IDF Platoon Commander Cpt. Maoz Israel Recanati in Southern Lebanon
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Maoz Israel Recanati, 24, Golani Brigade platoon commander, was killed. Hezbollah drone strike targeted Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
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Drone kills IDF officer
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was mortally wounded in a Hezbollah drone strike in Southern Lebanon, the military confirmed on Saturday night.
The slain officer was named as Cpt. Maoz Israel Recanati, 24, from the Samaria town of Itamar, and he served as a platoon commander in the 12th Battalion of the Golani Infantry Brigade.
The Times of Israel said Recanati was set to marry his fiancée, Rani, in a month, while JNS.org reported he was engaged to Rani Leah Kellerman and set to marry her on June 18.
JNS.org also said Recanati was the 20th Israeli soldier slain in Lebanon since the launch of “Operation Roaring Lion” on Feb. 28, and the seventh since the start of the ceasefire around a month ago.
Ceasefire, rockets, and strikes
The Times of Israel said limited fighting continued with the Iran-backed terror group despite a newly extended ceasefire, and it reported the IDF shot down several Hezbollah drones flying in areas where Israeli troops were operating.
It added that Hezbollah launched several rockets and mortars at troops in southern Lebanon, and the IDF said the projectiles struck near the forces but did not cause any injuries.
JNS.org reported that Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones at Israel on March 2 after the targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, and it said Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against Hezbollah after the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024 truce agreement was violated.
JNS.org further stated that Jerusalem and Beirut on April 16 agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, and that the two countries on April 23 agreed to extend the truce for three more weeks following direct talks in Washington, D.C.
FPV tactics and countermeasures
BBC Verify reported that Hezbollah has increased its use of small first-person view (FPV) drones to attack Israel, including systems controlled by fibre-optic cables to evade sophisticated defences. It said experts told BBC Verify the IDF has "so far been unable to develop any effective countermeasures," and it described how the small drones can bypass detection systems.
BBC Verify added that the IDF told it it recognises the threat from drones and is investing "significant resources" in improving defences, developing "more effective alert models" and training soldiers for "improving readiness and increasing awareness of the threat." BBC Verify also reported that the use of cheap FPV drones has changed modern warfare, and it said Israeli media reports indicate four IDF soldiers and one civilian have been killed in FPV strikes, with dozens more injured.